Four arrested in chop shop bust in Lee County

Four people are charged in connection with a commercial vehicle theft ring that was operating in Lee County. The group was stealing semis, tractor trailers, dump trucks, fork lifts and motorcycles, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Investigators say the men would take the stolen vehicles to chop shops they operated in Lee and Miami-Dade counties.

There, agents say the original vehicle identification numbers were removed and replaced with new VINs. The equipment was then either resold in Florida or shipped to Nicaragua.

FDLE agents, with help from the Lee County Sheriff's Office, arrested:

- Ariam Echemendia Rivero, 36, 581 SE 5th St., Hialeah

- Belarmino Alejandro Parra, 67, 11143 NW 78th St., Doral

- Julio Cesar Vargas Soza, 32, 3204 Vera Ave. S, Lehigh Acres

- Mario Bismarck Soza, 44, 3204 Vera Ave. S, Lehigh Acres

All are charged with conspiracy to commit grand theft, five counts of grand theft, two counts of grand theft of a vehicle, operating a chop shop and coordination of others in theft. The men were booked into the Lee County Jail.

Investigators also served search warrants at four locations - 3204 Vera Avenue S. in Lehigh Acres, 8190 Littleton Road in North Fort Myers, and addresses in Hialeah and Medley.

"These suspects operated an elaborate scheme and Agents have already recovered 25 stolen vehicles, mostly from small businesses and individuals," Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen said in an emailed statement.

FDLE says the Florida Highway Patrol, Collier County Sheriff's Office, Cape Coral and Medley police departments and National Insurance Crime Bureau also participated in the investigation.

Agents say the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the FDLE Ft. Myers Regional Operations Center at (800) 407-4880.